Books and Films That Enrich Family Travel Experiences

Pairing books and films with your travels can turn any destination into a deeper learning experience. This curated, country-by-country list of titles—gathered over years of family worldschooling—helps kids and parents connect with local culture, history, and perspectives before, during, and after each trip. Perfect for sparking curiosity, inspiring conversations, and creating unforgettable memories.

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One of our favorite parts of worldschooling our teen and tween for a year (and on shorter family adventures before and after our gap year) was having them read books related to where we are traveling — written by local authors or set in countries we were visiting. Randy and I often read these too (or we all listened to them together via audio book if road tripping), and had the kids write up short reviews in their journals with ratings out of five stars when they were done. 

Because, after all, traveling is not just about the destinations; it's about the deep, enriching experiences that come from truly engaging with each location's unique culture and history. And reading books or watching documentaries curated to our location proved to be one of the best ways to get under the hood of a country – and led to rich discussions for us as a family too..

How We Pair Books with Places

Books open windows to the history, culture, and spirit of the places we visit, allowing us to connect more deeply with each location. Here is a list of books we have matched with our travels over the years:

• Antarctica: Endurance by Alfred Lansing

• Argentina: The End of Ice: Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption by Dahr Jamail

• Australia: In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

• Botswana: Wild Life: Dispatches from a Childhood of Baboons and Button-downs by Keena Roberts

• Brazil: My Sweet Orange Tree by José Mauro de Vasconcelos; The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho

• Cambodia: First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung

• Chile: No One is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg

• Ecuador: The Villain's Dance by Edna Iturralde

• France: Genevieve’s War by Patricia Reilly Giff

• French Polynesia: Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl

• Greece: The Iliad by Homer

• India: The Bridge Home by Padma Venkataraman and The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani

• Indonesia: The Rainbow Troops by Andrea Hirata

• Italy: Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan

• Japan: Diary of a Tokyo Teen by Christine Mari Inzer; One Thousand Paper Cranes: The Story of Sadako and the Children's Peace Statue by Ishii Takayuki; Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García; Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World by Matt Alt

• Jordan: The Language of Baklava by Diana Abu-Jaber

• Nepal: Buried in the Sky: The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2’s Deadliest Day by Peter Zuckerman; Yak Girl: Growing Up in the Remote Dolpo Region of Nepal by Dorje Dolma

• Netherlands: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

• Philippines: Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

• Tanzania: Because of Khalid by Carolyn Armstrong

• South Africa: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah and Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton

• Spain: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

• Taiwan: The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X. R. Pan

• Thailand: All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat

• Vietnam: Escape from Saigon: How a Vietnam War Orphan Became an American Boy by Andrea Warren

Complementing with Documentaries and Movies

Documentaries and movies bring visuals and narratives that books alone cannot capture, providing a sensory experience of the history and lifestyle of the places we visit. Here’s our list of documentaries and movies matched with their respective locations:

• Antarctica: Continent 7 Antarctica (Documentary on scientific research)

• Argentina: Evita (Musical about Eva Perón)

• Botswana: Surviving Paradise: A Family Tale (Okavango Delta wildlife documentary)

• Brazil: The Edge of Democracy (2019 documentary on political crises)

• Cambodia: Angkor Awakens (Documentary on post-genocide Cambodia)

• Egypt: The Square (2011 revolution documentary), Lost Treasures of Egypt (National Geographic series)

• Greece: The Greeks (National Geographic and PBS series)

• Nepal: Himalaya (Film by Eric Valli; Academy Award-nominated)

• South Africa: Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, The Power of One, Invictus

• Tanzania: The Lion King (Disney animated movie)

• Vietnam: Good Morning, Vietnam (1987 war comedy)

• Relevant Everywhere: The Last Tourist (Documentary on overtourism)

By integrating books and films into our travel plans, we help make sure each destination is more than just a place we pass through. It becomes a vivid chapter in our own family’s journey, filled with learning and connection. These stories, whether read or watched, prepare us for what we will see, enhance our stay while we are there, and continue to enrich our memories long after we return home.